Originally called Black Carib, Garinagu first arrived in Belize in 1802 by way of shipwrecked slaves on St. Vincent in 1675, shipped to Roatan, Honduras, in 1797 after a civil war, thereafter fleeing from disturbances there.

Consolidating their settlements along the coast at Dangriga, Hopkins, Seine Bight, Punta Gorda and Barranco, the men worked in the mahogany camps, while others fished and cleared the bush for the women to plant cassava and other root crops.

The Garinagu gift for languages was especially good, many of them being able to speak English, Spanish, French, Miskito, and Maya. They have their own language also, which has absorbed the different elements of their past, including Arawak and African.

Mainly because of their reputation in St. Vincent as a vicious and warlike people, the Garinagu were at first unwelcome in Belize. With time the fears dissipated, and they were left to pursue and predominate as schoolteachers, policemen, government employees, politicians, artisans, and priests.

Living largely in exclusive societies, the Garinagu comprise about six percent of Belize’s population. Despite changes in the physical environment, they have held on to most of their traditions, especially retaining their attachment to the sea. Perhaps the greatest influence the Garinagu has exercised on the Belizean community can be found in their ability to successfully display and preserve aspects of their culture at every available opportunity. 1941 Thomas Vincent Ramos founded Garifuna Settlement Day and began the celebration in Dangriga, by 1943 it had spread to include Toledo and so the day became a Public and Bank Holiday in the southern Districts.  It was not until 1977 that the Government declared Garifuna Settlement Day a public holiday throughout the country of Belize. November 19th is a National Holiday in Belize commemorating their arrival to Belize.

The most concentrated populations of Garinagu in Belize are in Belize City, Dangriga, Hopkins, Seine Bight, Georgetown and Punta Gorda.

Reference: Different Faces in Belize, Cultural Groups of Belize